Wrap stripe knitting machine and method



Feb. 7,1939. R H. LAWSON ETAL 2,146,303

WARP STRIPE KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed July 2l, 1936 4 'Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 7, 1939.

R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,146,303 WARP STRIPE KNITTING MACHlNE AND METHOD Filed July 2l, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 (D 39 I 3e, @Wg

i Feb. 7,1939. 'R HV LAWSON ET AL WARP STRIPE KNI'TING MACHINE AND METHOD 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 21 1956 I lll-- l 4vFeb. 7,1939.' R. H4 LAWSON ET'AL 2,146,303

WARP STRIPE KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed July 2l, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet@ F/Cig F7020.

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Patented Feu-,1,1939 .l t p 2,146,303

UNlTED STATES PATENT orifice WRAP STRIPE KNITTING- MACHINE AND METHOD Robert H. Lawson, Pawtucket, and Isaac H. C.

Green, Central Falls, R. I., assignots to Hemphill Company, CentralFalls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July' 21, 1936, Serial No. 91,744

14 Claims. (Cl. (i6-435) This case involves an invention in mech- Fig. 211s a development f Part 0f the Cam anism for knitting wrap patterns on circular,'in assembly; dependent needle knitting machines. The inven- Fig- 22 S a SeCtiOn ShOWing Some 0f the Cams vtion is applied to wrap machines of similar 'type for rocking yarn ngers; and to that shown 1n Hemphill Patent 1,702,608, and Fig. 23. is a diagrammatic View Showing the 6 is a continuation in certain respects of co-pendneedle selection employed with this second modiing applications Ser. Nos. 689,449, Patent No. fLCatiOn 0f the invention- 2,104,232 and 699,714, Patent No. 2,111,492. Fig. 24 is a fragmentary view showing the lever In the drawings; Y and connections for raising the wrap mechanism 0 Fig. 1 is a section of the simplest form of the and for retaining tle iixed .portions thereof in 10V device showing the manner in which yarn wrapproper relative position.

pine fingers are controlled; The mechanism for wrapping pattern threads Fig. 2' is an elevation of the wrapping head which forms the subject matter of thisvcase is showing the cams; similar to .that shown in Hemphill Patent `5 Fig. 3 is a view of thehead as seen from below, 1,702,608 in that an eccentrically mounted wrap- 15 Fig. 1; ping head is employed which is arranged to feed Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1 but a plurality of wrap threads to selected needles. taken through a different plane for the purpose The eccentrically mounted head is rotated at the of showing yarn wrapping fingers in another posame angular speed as the needle cylinder car- !0 sition; rying needles which are to nbe wrapped and for 20 Fig; 5 is a development of the finger controlling a general understanding of such wrapping, refcams; a erence vis made to the'patent above mentioned. Fig. 6 is a section showing a fragment of the One of they objects of this invention is to provide v head and the camfor holding fingers in outer means for wrapping a great number of separate position; wrap yarns whereby it will be possible to orna- 25 Fig. 7 is a detail of a cam or plate removable ment a fabric with avery large number of colors. for the purpose of changing yarn guiding fingers; This also! makes it possible to wrap different Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing needle colors upon needles which are adjacent or very selection as applied to this form of the inven'- closely adjacent, these adjacent needles being tion; wrapped with different threads in the same 30 Fig. 9 is a plan of certain parts of the machine, course of knitting. It is a further object of the a group of needles and a'group of lingers illusinvention to wrap patterns wherein one color aptrating the action of the wrapping" point; pears within another color, this being extremely Figs. 1o and 11 are detail views of one of the desirable especially inornamentins certain types yarn wrappingngers; p 4 of hosiery. j g `1&5

Fig. 121s an elevation showing the general con- `Another `object of the invention is t0 provide struction of a modined form of the device; a Simple and compact wrapping device which will Fig. 13 is a, Sectional View of the same; not interfere with other functions of the ma- Fig. 14 is a view `of the wrapping head as seen chine and which Will be found t0 produce its Pat' from below; j tern throughout the fabric without any devia- 40 Fig. 15 is a, Sectional View taken` on a werent tion from the original pattern contemplated. In plane from 'that upon which the section of M 13 accordance with the practice on Banner wrap is taken; 1 inattits Wtiiinlmeiblttt n c c on Fig' 16 is a development of the cam assemblies vfotlier-forms of pattern devices if desired. 'Other 45 Fig. 17 is a detail similar to that of Fig. 7, of a objects of `me invention wm appear as the ik cam or plate removable for purpose of changing closure progresse I v yam guiding fingers?. These .desirable objectives are accomplished by Fig. 18 is a section showing part oi the yarn the cmbined movement of needles' as they are vs0 nger carrier and-one of the camvs'functiomng selected and of wrapping nngers as they are 50 therewith; e moved downwardly at about the same time and Fig- 19 1S a Section 0f'a Second modification 0f then inwardly of the needle circle after wrapping the invention; 4 a group of selected'needles. Thedouble move- Fig'. 20 is a section corresponding to Fig. 19 ment of wrapping fingers is essential in the ecu but taken on a diierent plane; i centrlcally mounted wrapping device as em;- 55

ployed in Banner machines to allow wrapping with a great many different colors and at the same time, to retain all the advantages of the eccentrically mounted wrapping device, that is,

- wrapping over an extended panel of needles and in a positive, simple wa'y. The selection oi needles is accomplished by any suitable means, one particular scheme being illustrated in this case, but not representing the only means available; it should function to raise needles to wrapping position as rapidly as possible. The fingersV are simultaneously moved down by a cam which is reasonably steep and this combined movement brings a finger and its wrap yarn into effective engagement with a group of needles to be wrapped in the shortest possible time thus preventing wrapping of needles not to be included in the group selected also allowing wrapping fingers to be spaced very closely adjacent without interference of the neighboring wrap yarns.

The inward movement of each wrap yarn guiding finger terminates the effective wrapping by that finger in a much shorter time than could be accomplished with the eccentric wrapping device of the previous type employed on Banner machines as exemplified in Patent Number 1,702,608. This terminating of the -wrapping movement by swinging a finger inwardly across the needle circle assures that that finger will wrap a maximum number of needles in a group without interference with the next adjacent finger and without accidentally wrapping any 'needles in another group. It is briefly the` effect of these additional movements as imparted to the wrapping fingers in conjunction With the selective movement imparted to needles whichrnakes it possible to employ a great number of colors or' individual wrapping threads on a small, eccentrically mounted wrapping mechanism of the Banner type. None of the usual advantages of said wrapping mechanism have to be sacrificed to obtain the additional number of wrapping yarns, nor is it necessary to sacrifice any of theV accuracy with which selected needles will be wrapped with the proper'thread.

Now vreferring to the figures, the wrapping head includes and is fixed to the lower end of a spindle I. To this spindle has been fixedly attached a hub or wrap yarn guiding finger carrier u 2, in this particular instance the two are fixed together by means of a screw 3 which serves as a key. The hub or guide carrier 2 has a plurality of tricks or slots cut lengthwise thereof within which the guides are freely slidable. Any desired number of slots may be cut within the carrier up to a number equivalent to the number of needles employed in the machine and which mighir'be wrapped by guiding fingers inserted in the slots, however, it would ordinarily be satisfactory to employ about half as many guides as needles, and for many purposes much less than that number will suffice. One convenient and a preferred construction is that of a earlier with one-half as many slots as the machine with which it is to be used has needles, and employing one guide in every third slot. The additional slots provide for spacing and grouping vthe guides for special purposes.` Such a wrap machine would have about forty fingers in service and thus might be employed to feed forty different colors, although the invention is well adapted to feed many more wrap threads and incidentally many more colors.

The wrap fingers areillustrated at 4 and have butts I aboutA midway of their length-and are provided at their lower ends with an opening 6 -through which a yarn is to be threaded. Sevwithin their slots, rocking them within the slots j for a purpose to be described and further, maintain the fingers within the carrier and in proper working position with respect to the circle of needles, selected ones of which are to be wrapped.

This cam structure includes a cap 8, a sleeve 9',

cut -away at one side as illustrated in Fig. 2, and a lower cam ring I0. The sleeve 9 and cam ring I are constructed in such a manner that they provide a pathway II within which the butts 5 are guided. This pathway serves to impart vertical movements to the fingers.

' The cam ring I 0 is attached and maintained in permanent relationship to the sleeve 9 by means of the connecting pieces I2 and I3. The opening between the two as indicated at II is suiiicient to allow easy passage of the butts 5 and maintains the butts and incidentally the fingers at their higher level except when they pass down the inclined part ofthe pathway I4, along the lower horizontal part I5 prior to being elevated by the inclined edge I6 of ring I0, Fig. 5. For the purpose of simplifying the removal of fingers, the ring has been slotted at one side thereof and a plate II having a filler piece I8 is attached by means of screws so that the filler piece completely closes the slot and presents a continuous and'smooth surface to the butts 5 and the fingers 4. By turning the carrier until that particular finger which it is desired to take from the same comes opposite the slot or open- 4 ing, any finger may be removed at the opening left as this plate is removed.

All of this cam structure is attached by means of suitable screws I9 (three such screws being shown herein) taking within slots in the cap 8. This cap has a part 2| which overlies a iiange 22 projecting from the upper end of the carrier and which also bears within an annular bearing cut Within sleeve 9, a. complete groove thus being formed within which the flange 22 has a working fit. Obviously the slots or tricks cut in the carrier are also cut in the fiange. This flange 22 allows the cam assembly to be held stationary while the carrier and wrap yarn guiding fingers rotate within it, the said flange serving to maintain the proper axial relationship between the cam assembly and the carrier itself. 'I'he ring 8 is provided with a slot 23 within which a pin may engage for preventing rotation of the cam assembly and also for lifting the entire wrapping mechanism at such times as it is to be moved away from the needles as for knitting the heel or toe and when transferring. The mechanism for raising the wrap head is similar to that shown in Lawson et al. 1,702,608, Lawson 2,104,232 and also to that of most Banner wrap machines. Here a lever 99 has a pin or projection 98 which engages within a proper opening such as at 23, Fig. 1, and as the lever is raised or lowered the position of the wrap mechanism will be altered accordingly. Incidentally, the fixed cam elements are prevented from rotating by this raising and lowering means so that as the wrap fingers are rotated with their carrier, theirbutts willbe engaged andwactuatedby the tions as required at the diierent phases inl the knitting of a stocking, this all being known and described in previous Hemphill patents such as Patent Number 1,702,608. At Acertain timesl -,the roller IUD is engaged by other means on the latch ring in a manner and for a purpoenot necessary to be described here as the same forms no part of the present invention. .i

Each of the slots cut within lthe carrier has been cut at an angle to the vertical and deeper at the lower end as shown at 24. This deepening of the slot at the lower end provides` for rocking fingers in such a manner that they cross the needle circle more quickly than they would if the eccentricity of the head alone was to be depended upon. Cams 25 and 26 attached to sleeve 9 and ring vIll respectively serve to control this rocking movement. Cam 26 is adiustably attached by means of screws 21 passing through slots inthe cam and provides for rocking the fingers inwardly after they have been moved down by the inclined part of the slot I4. This cam is beveled at either end as shown in Fig. 3 and maintains the lingers rocked inwardly for about 45 ldegrees of carrier travel. The cam 25 is attached in a similar manner to the part of sleeve 9 which circumscribes the carrier below the opening 9'. Cam 25 prevents the fingers 4 from "accidentally starting their rocking movement prior to contact with cam 26. 25 has one end 28 shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, which controls the upper ends of the fingers to prevent them from swinging out into the opening 9'. The connecting portion of the sleeve 9 which isbeneath the opening 9 and indicated 4. in Figs. 1, 5 and 6A at '29,'has been beveled so that .the upper ends of these fingers mayswing out- 'wardly when they are forced to do so under the action of cam 26. i

. At the right hand end, Fig. 5, of this bevele of cams or plungers 32 acting upon one of the removable butts 33. These plungers or cams 32 may be manually moved toand from butt engaging position, however, they will normally be` controlled by a pattern drum or the like. After being selected', a jack will be engaged by cam 34 which contacts the master butt 35, the jack and its needle will be raised to a'height in which the needle will be wrapped by one of the fingers 4. In the illustration of Fig. 8 two groups of needles are shown raised for wrapping, with one needle between the groups which has not been selected' `missing the wrap thread. After being wrapped theseneedles will move down to pass through the knitting cams with the remaining needles to knit'- and thereafter cast off their loops vand thewrap thread if there be any.

In Fig. 9 several groups of needles which havel been4 selected are indicated as being wrapped Y, by iingers which are first shown after they have passed outwardly over the needle circle' due to vrate threads in wrappingfor the This cam the eccentricity of the wrapping mechanism, and then being shown afterl passing through the circle of needles to the inside thereof as they contact with cam 26. 4 'After being moved quickly within the circle of needlesthe fingers areprogressively swung back to their original position but at that time the carrier 2 has moved to such a position that all iingers are within the needle circle anyway. The hook 36 depending from arm 31 is of the usual construction employed in Banner machines and assists in the needle wrapping as shown. The binder plate is illustrated at 38 while the elements 39 and 40 serve in the usual manner to keep wrap floats out of the binder and coniined to a position within the needle circle wherein no interference will be encountered for these floats or other yarns.

From an inspection of Fig. 9it can be seen that groups of needles which are very closely adjacent are to be wrapped with different threads and thus diierent colors may be 4interposed upon the fabric lin very close proximity to one another, also one color may be inserted between other colors without difficulty. Due to the great number of wrapping fingers which may be employed it is possible to ornament'wth a great many colors or to use an extremely large number of sepapurpose of preventing runs or the like.

Now referring to Figs. 12-18, a modiiied form of the invention will be shown which varies slightly from the first form in that movable fingers such in the first instance are used in this modification in addition to other iingers which are permanently arranged in the carrier for clocking etc. A iinger carrier 4l is fixed to rotate with a spindle 42 by means of akey 43. This spindle is reduced in size at 44 and is driven by means of a hollow shaft Afl5 having a slot for engagement of a lug 46 projecting upwardly from asplit collar 4l. Thiscollar is clamped to the reduced partof the spindle by means of a clamping screw 48 and imparts the rotation of shaft 45 to the spindle and thence to the carrier 4 I. This carrier is slotted in the same way the carrier 2 was and carries in some of these slots wrapping ngers 49 having buttsE. Yarns which are to be wrapped pass down through openings in the carrier as in the rst instance .and are threaded through openings 5| in the end of each finger. The carrier 4I has a cam assembly very similar to that of the first described form of the invention and which comprises a cap 52, sleeve 53 and a ring 54, the sleeve and ring being so shaped that they present a cam groove 55 within which butts 50 trave/l. These butts are forced downwardly to move their iingers to a lower level by the inclined,part 56 of the .cam groove, then valong at a' lower level 51 and again up within the inclinedv slot 58.

this lower position the lingers are tilted o-r rocked inwardly by cams presently to be described.

This rocking movement of the iingers is under the control of the cam 59 and the combined cams 66 and 6|. The cams 6I) and 6I are attached to part of the sleeve 53 by means of suitable screws and are adjustable circumferentiallv of the cam superposed relationships() that one may be ad- .iusted with respect tothe other thus to vary the length of the `cam surface which acts upon the upper ends of these lingers. The cam 59 is also While in` assembly. These cams serveto hold the upper' carrier rotates.

adjustably secured in place on the ring 54 land serves to press against the lower ends of fingers and to rock them quickly within the needle circle as described above with respect to Figs. 1 and 9. Once the finger is rocked inwardly of the needle circle it remains inside the needle circle due to the eccentricity and smaller size of the wrapping head with respect to the circle of needles wrapped. In this instance fingers are held inwardly, that is, in the position shownin Fig. 13 throughout the extent of the c am 59 whereupon they will be straightened up and rocked outwardly by means of the inclined part on the inner side of the portion lof the sleeve 53 which is indicated at 62, Figs. 13 and 18. This beveled part of the sleeve allows rocking of the fingers but tilts them back into position as soon as they pass up on cam 59.

The ring 54 is attached to the sleeve by means of two connecting pieces 63 and 64. Both the ring and the sleeve are slotted for the purpose of removing wrapping fingers, and a plate 65 having filler pieces 66 and 61 has been secured over these slots to render the said ring and sleeve continuous while functioning as a cam.

The sleeve 53 and the cap 52 form a groove within which fiange 68 at the upper end of the The carrier is also grooved at its lower end at 69 for the purpose of accommodating th-e cam 59.

Within some of the slots in this carrier special fingers are to be inserted. These fingers being employed. for the purpose of clocking or striping at parts of the stocking throughout a considerable length and wherein frequent change is not likely to occur. Each of the fingers 10 is longer than the fingers 49 and carries a butt 1| at its upper end which engages with a cam slot at that end of the sleeve 53 for maintaining said fingers at a common elevation. This elevation will be that shown in Fig. or one in which the lower end of the fingers are not rocked or tilted within the carrier. For purposes of allowing the fingers to pass cam 59 without being affected thereby, each of the fingers is cut away as shown at 12. The operation'of this form of the invention will be apparent, the fingers 49 rocking in practically the same manner in which fingers 4 did, and the fingers 10 merely serving as yarn guides fixed with respect to the eccentrically mounted carrier.' and wrapping said group of selected needles in very much the same. way one of the guides of Patent 1,702,608 would wrap selected needles.

Now referring to Figs` 19-23, we will describe a second modification of the invention wherein two different types of swinging fingers are employed. The stationary clocking fingers may also be used in conjunction with the two types of movable fingers. A slotted carrier 13 similar to that of' the previously described forms is xed to the end of a. spindle 14 and a sleeve 15, cam ring 16 and cap 11 are arranged to be held stationary at the outside of the carrier so as to impart the y reciprocating movements necessary to the yarnl fingers. The carrier has a fiange 18 which serves the same purpose served by the flanges 22 and 98. For purposes of convenience the clocking fingers which would be similar to the fingers 1li, Fig. 15, are not shown although it is contemplated to use as many of them as are necessary or convenient with this form of wrapping mechanism.

Depending upon the pattern to be produced a number of long fingers 19 and short fingers 80 are spaced about the slotted carrier, the long fingers having a butt 8| while the shorter fingers .any effective wrapping by the other.

have a butt 82 for the same purpose, but in addition thereto another butt 83 which cooperates with a special cam for swinging these fingers inwardly of the needle circle.

It is essential that this form of the invention be employed in conjunction with a double needle selection, that is, one wherein a first selection is made which allows needles to be wrapped at that position by one group of the wrapping fingers only, while a second selection provides for the wrapping of other needles by the second group of Wrapping fingers. Each of these selections allows wrapping by one type of finger to the exclusion of One typical example of such a selection is shown in Fig. 23 wherein needles 84 having jacks 85 beneath them may be raised to one height as indicated by the pathway 86 when acted upon by any one of a series of selectors 81 functioning upon removable selective butts, and thereafter being raised to the wrapping height by a cam 88 which engages a master butt on the jack in the event it has been selected. A second group of selectors 89 are arranged to select certain ones of the jacks which were not selected by the first group or at the first stage of selection and thereby to cause them to engage a cam and be raised to a wrapping level which is higher than the first level as indicated by the pathway 90. This raising is accomplished by contact of the master butts on these jacks with a cam 9|. The fingers 8U will .wrap needles which are raised to the lower wrapping level due to the fact that they are rocked inwardly of the needle circle sooner than the fingers 19. The fingers 19 will not be in aposition to engage any of their wrap yarns within the hooks of needles raised to this lower wrapping level. The fingers 19 will thereafter be swung inwardly and will wrap their yarns about such needles as have been selected and elevated to the higher wrapping level. At this time the fingers 80 have passed inwardly of the needle circle and have no tendency to interfere with the wrapping at this second stage.

Now considering the short wrapping fingers 80 which are maintained vertically within the carrier until they reach a point about at the beginning of the open space 92 in the sleeve 15, a cam they have passed down the cam slot between the sleeve and cam ring, the cam acting upon butts 83.\ The part 94 of the sleeve which is beneath the opening 92 has been beveled as illustrated in Figs. 19 and 20 so that these fingers may be swung as required. At the termination of the beveled portion the said fingers will be straightened up and will be raised by the oppositely inclined part of the cam slot which functions upon butts 82.

Two cams 95 and 96 attached to the sleeve 15 in a manner very similar to that described with respect to the cams and 6| serve to hold the fingers 19 in vertical position while the fingers 80 are rocked inwardly for wrapping until such a time as they are to be swung inwardly by cam 91 similar to cam 59 of the modification previously described. Cam 91 will have no effect on the fingers 80 since thev have already been moved to their inclined position and the cam 93 will likewise have no eect on the other fingers 91 since those fingers have no butts to be engaged by said cam. The clockingfingers such as 1|! are to be used with this modification and will not be affected by cam 91 nor will they be contacted in any manner by the 4cam 93.

lscribed in Patent It will be evident that this inodiiication of the invention allows wrapping at twov separate -wrapping points and thus presents all the advantages attendant upon such a method of wrapping, for example, it becomes possible to wrap adjacent needles with different yarns and to change from one wrapping yarn to another on adjacent needles and back to thev first or tol a similar yarn on the next adjacent needle all in the same course of knitting. These advantages are obtained with a very simple construction whichat the same time J 1. In a circular knitting machine, means for feeding wrap'yarns to needles of the machine in needle circle after they have been moved downwrap yarns to needles addition to a baseyarn, including an eccentrically mounted, rotatable wrapping therewith constructed for moving said fingers in agvertical direction and thereafter for swinging said iingers for the purpose described.

2.V In a knitting machine, lmeans for feeding of said Amachine including a rotatable carrier, a plurality of wrap yarn guidl ing fingers capable of sliding and of rocking with' in said carrier, cams operatively associated with said carrier and fingers constructed for moving said fingers downwardly after they have passed outside the needle circle and other cams func-` tioning therewith for swinging fingers within. the

wardly and for thereafter raising said fingers'to their initial position.. l 3. In a circular knitting machine, the com- Y bination of a series of independently movable needles, means for selecting certain ones of said needles for being wrapped,

cluding a vcarrier rotatablymounted and eccentric with respect to the needles, fingers in said carrier arranged for 4sliding and for rocking therein, fixed cams associated with said carrier for imparting to said fingers a vertically sliding movement and other camsjassociated therewith for rocking said fingers.

4. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a series of independently movable needles, means for selecting certain ones of said needles for being wrapped, means for wrapping pattern threads about said selected needles including a carrier rotatably mounted and eccentric with respectl to the needles, fingers within said carrier arranged for sliding and for rocking, butts on said iingersand fixed cams associated with the carrier and moving the ngers vertically downward and thereafter upwardly, I said iingers inwardly after they have been moved downwardly whereby saidl ngers will move across thewpath of needles more quickly than they otherwise would if dependent -upon the eccentricity of the carrier alone.

5. In a circular knitting machine, the comwithin the scopeof the original head, a plurality of yarn guiding fingers therein and cams associated means for wrapping' pattern threads about said selected needles inl for engaging saidbutts another cam for rocking l bination of a series ofl independently movableneedles, means for'selecting certain ones of said needles for being wrapped, means for wrapping pattern threads about said selected needles including a carrier eccentrically mounted for rotation at the same angular speed as the needles, a plurality of yarn wrapping fingers in said carrier arranged for sliding therein and also for being rocked relatively thereto, certain ones of said fingers having butts thereon and said carrier having cams associated therewith for acting upon said butts and imparting vertical sliding movements to the fingers, a cam for imparting a rocking movement to said fingers,v

others of said fingers being fixed with respect to said carrier to be rotated therewith but being y prevented from moving vertically therein or rocking with respect thereto.

6. In a circular knitting machine the combination of a series of independently movable needles, means for selecting certain ones of said needles for being wrapped with pattern threads, means for wrapping pattern threads about said selected needles including a carrier eccentrically and rotatably mounted with respect to said needles, a plurality of fingers arranged for slidingu within said carrier and for rocking inwardly thereof, a plurality of cams circumscribing said carrier including cams for moving said fingers vertically, another cam for rocking said ngers inwardly of the carrier and a third cam for con- 'trolling and preventing said rocking movement prior to the time when said fingers engage said cam for being rocked inwardly.

7. Mechanism as deiined in claim 6, wherein said cams for rockingfingers are adjustable circumferentially of the carrier. l

.8. Mechanism as'de'fined in claim 6, wherein said cams for preventing rocking of the fingers prior to a time when they engage the cam provided for that purpose are adjustable circumferentially of the carrier and also with respect to each other for-the purpose described.

9. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a series of independently movable needles, means for selecting certainones of said.

needles for being wrapped, meansfor wrapping pattern threads about said selected needles including a carrier eccentrically and rotatably4 mounted `with respect to the needles, a plurality of fingers for'wrapping pattern threads about said selected needles arranged for* sliding ver tically and for rocking within said carrier, each ringer having a butt thereon for engagement with cams for imparting vertical movements to the fingers, cams for engaging said butts for imparting said movement, said ones `of the fingers having another butt for engagement with a cam for-imparting rocking movements to the fingers, a cam for engagement with said butts to impart that rocking movement, and anotherl cam for engaging those iingers which do not have said second mentioned butt to rock them inwardly` kof the-carrier, the construction being such that either cam for imparting the rocking movement will affect only the group of fingers for which it is intended. I

l0. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a series of independently movable needles, means for selecting certain ones of said needles for being wrapped, means for wrapping pattern threads about said .selected needles lncluding a carrier eccentrically mounted'for rotation with respect to the needles, a plurality of yarn wrapping fingers within said-carrier ar-- ,mounted carrier ranged for sliding and rocking movement, said fingers having different conformations thereon and cams for causing said fingers to be moved for wrapping at different positions circumferentlally of said machine.

11. In a circular knitting machine, the com` bination of a series of independently4 movable needles, means for selecting certain ones of said needles to be wrapped at one position about said machine and means for selecting others of said needles to be Wrapped at a position more advanced in the direction of movement of needles about said machine, means for wrapping pattern threadsl about said selected needles including a carrier eccentrically and rotatably mounted with respect to the needles, a plurality of fingers for wrapping pattern threads arranged within said carrier for sliding movement and for rocking movement, said fingers being provided with differentiated butt formations and cams engageable with said butt formations to cause some of said fingers to be swung across the path of needles at the first point of needle selection and other cams for swinging the remaining fingers across the path of needles at said more advanced point of l selection of needles.

12. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a series of independently movable needles, means for selecting certain ones of said needles for being wrapped, some of said needles being selected at one stage and other being selected at a stage removed circumferentially of the machine from that first mentioned, means for wrapping pattern threadsabout said needles at both stages of selection including an eccentrically rotatable with respect to the said needles, a plurality of yarn wrapping fingers movable within said carrier for wrapping pattern threads about selected needles, some of the fingers having differentiated butt formations thereon, cam means for moving said fingers downwardly at one point in the Wrapping cycle and other cam means comprising two cams spaced circumferentially of the carrier, the first for imparting wrapping movements to some of the fingers at a point adjacent that where `the needles are first selected and a second imparting like movements to the remaining fingers at the second point of needle selection.

13. A method of wrapping pattern threads about needles of a knitting machine including the steps of moving needles to a selected position for receiving a wrap thread, simultaneously moving a wrap thread carrier in a direction axially of the needle to meet said needle and to wrap a thread thereabout and thereafter moving said wrap thread carrier by a combined eccentric movement thereof with respect to the movements of a needle carrier and an independent movement of the wrap thread carrier, across a group of needles and then back to an inactive position.

14. A method of wrapping pattern threads about selected needles of a circular knitting machine including the simultaneous movement of needles and a wrap thread carrier in an axial direction of the needles and toward each other, then moving said wrap thread carrier across the path of the needles by a combined eccentric movement of a wrap thread carrier and an independent movement thereof so that by the cumulative effect of these movements, a wrap thread will be more rapidly passed in front of and behind the group of needles to be Wrapped.

ROBERT'H. LAWSON. ISAAC H. c. GREEN. 

